With summer vacations in sight, things are heating up in Czechia. Pub life has shifted into beer gardens and outdoor festivals. Accolades have been pouring in for the local art scenes and architectural beauty. Spa season brings a peaceful air to some of Europe’s oldest spa towns. And non-stop flights from NYC to Prague are back in business. Overall, the vibes are just right.
Prague’s Newest Art Installation
The latest reason to “look up” while wandering Prague’s Old Town neighborhood: a pair of unusual butterflies outside the newly remodeled Maj department store.
Czech artist David Černý designed the artistic insects, combining Spitfire jets used in WWII with mechanical butterfly wings, all in a blue-and-purple palette. They structures are wrapped up in symbolism, from honoring Czech pilots who served in the British Royal Air Force to the ideas of butterflies representing peace or as agents of change. The building itself is set to reipoen to the public on June 24, 2024.
Why Travelers Love the Czech Art Scene
Which European cities win points with art-lovers? Prague took second place in a new study that ranked the number of galleries (bonus points for those with free entry) as well as the number of statues, monuments and street art.
A day trip beyond the capital adds more art in interesting spaces: Kutná Hora’s contemporary GASK gallery in a Baroque Jesuit College, fine arts displayed in a former spa and swimming pool in Liberec, and the Olomouc art scene housed in a former telegraph factory.
Arts and culture can help bridge cultural divides and bring familiar names to far-away places. A new Tim Burton exhibit showcases fifty years of films like Beetlejuice, Batman, and The Nightmare Before Christmas through storyboards, sketches, and photos inside Prague’s Art Nouveau Municipal House.
Czech Spa Season Is Officially Open!
May kicks off the many months of spa season ahead to relax and recharge in gorgeous surroundings. Throughout summer and into autumn, visitors can indulge in thermal springs, massages, hillside hikes, and fresh air across the country.
Try the country’s oldest spa in Teplice, maybe a peat bath in the fishing town of Třeboň, or sample free-flowing springs in the ornate West Bohemian Spa Triangle — recognized among UNESCO’s Great Spa Towns of Europe. Go ahead, treat yourself to a visit, and thank us later.
